


How To Train Your Dragon

by Easyan, SuperSizeKinkAnon



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: (Because Reasons...), Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Another ABO Fic, Armin's Grandfather is called Franklin., Blow Jobs, Bottom Eren Yeager, Crossover, Dragon Riders, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Good Parent Grisha Yeager, Hand Jobs, Levi & Eren Yeager are the Same Age, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Armin Arlert, Omega Eren Yeager, Top Armin Arlert, Top Jean Kirstein, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Translation, War, long ass chapters, shocker - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 05:57:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12742356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Easyan/pseuds/Easyan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSizeKinkAnon/pseuds/SuperSizeKinkAnon
Summary: This has Nothing to Do with the Movies! It's just set in the world!Shinganshina was a real paradise.It was a large and prolific Island. It had, a harbor, vast forests, and tall mountain peaks that were so tall even the hardiest man had trouble climbing it. It also possessed a great variety of defenses, like the steep rocky reefs that surrounded it, making any enemy approach almost impossible. It was only the natives of the island, the experienced navigators, who were entrusted with the heavy task of trading with the outside or defending the land, that knew enough about the waters to sail without danger.Shinganshina was really a place to live in ...At least if there was not, this little, very little problem ..."DRAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS! "





	How To Train Your Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [How To Train Your Dragon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12724866) by [Easyan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Easyan/pseuds/Easyan). 



> This is not an exact translation. I had to add stuff that was not in the original and I may have tweaked the story a little for my own selfish reasons. It's nothing game changing.

Chapter 1: The Prodigal Son

Shinganshina was a real paradise.

It was a large and prolific Island. It had, a harbor, vast forests, and tall mountain peaks that were so tall even the hardiest man had trouble climbing it. It also possessed a great variety of defenses, like the steep rocky reefs that surrounded it, making any enemy approach almost impossible. It was only the natives of the island, the experienced navigators, who were entrusted with the heavy task of trading with the outside or defending the land, that knew enough about the waters to sail without danger.

Shinganshina prospered thanks to agriculture, the forge, and more importantly, its breeding. Because the pastures of the island were so green and rich, it allowed sheep, goats, chickens, horses, and cattle, to be breaded in abundance. Year after year, Shinganshina consolidated its economic power that it had gained from the ruthless era of piracy. It had been barely a hundred years since the various dynasties of pirate chiefs had chosen to settle down. The Jaëger emblem, one of the fiercest pirates' clans, had never been more imposing than in the present, under the command of Grisha Jaëger, the undisputed leader of Shinganshina.

Unyielding, fair, and determined, his people respected and revered him.

Loyalty, discipline, and courage were the creeds associated with the Jaëger clan. His men were fearless, his ships splitting the water faster than any other. Shinganshina was really a place to live in ...

At least if there was not, this little, very little problem ...

"DRAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS! "

The gong announcing an impending attack resounded throughout the village. Immediately, everyone was in action, preparing for the hard fight. And naturally, Eren was not left out... at least, he would have liked. With a sword in hand, he was already about to leave the relative safety of his house when a dry voice interrupted him, "Eren. Where do you think you are going?”

Eren froze standing in the doorway. Grisha looked at him imperturbably, eyebrows raised. The man was already wearing copper armor, a shield to deflect the flames, and his almost legendary weapon, a mace, so impressive that no one could believe he was able to handle it with such agility, hung on his arm. Eren raised his head and puffed out his chest and yelled "I am doing what everyone is doing! I am preparing for battle!”

Grisha heaved out long sigh before striding toward his son and said, "I clearly do not have time to take care of you! This is the third Dragon attack this month!”

“More reason to let me help!” Eren yelled.

Grisha gripped his son by the collar and began to drag him after him while reprimanding him, "Eren, we've talked about it a thousand times! You're not allowed to fight, you must...”

“All because I'm an Omega!” Eren screamed. 

Without stopping for a second, Grisha continued to pull firmly the teenager who was stamping under his grip and said, "Exactly! But it's mostly because you're my son! My only son! Shinganshina will need you soon...”

“Need me?! They need the blood from my descendants! That's it, isn’t?!” Eren yelled.

As Eren yelled a shadow passed over their heads. Shouts rang out everywhere. The fighting was going well. A few houses were in flames and the howling of the cattle added to the ambience of total chaos. Grisha clenched his teeth and said roughly, "Yes! That's it! You're not even able to carry a sword worthy of the Jaëger name, how do you plan to fight them, huh?”

“It's not the size that counts, it's how we use it! We never told you that Daddy?” Eren yelled out passionately.

The man rolled his eyes and with a well-placed kick opened the smithy door loudly before screaming, "Frank! I entrust you with Eren!”

The old blacksmith lifted his head and nodded cheerfully, "Do not worry, I'll take care of Grisha”

The old blacksmith turned his to Eren and kindly said, “Eren, come help Armin."

“I do not want to help out at the forge! Dad!” Eren yelled. 

But already, without paying him the slightest attention, Grisha had turned his back and left, taking care to close the door behind him. The enraged teenager dropped the sword he was holding in his hand and gave a scream filled with frustration and anger. The old blacksmith smiled, wiping his hands in his charred apron and said, "Come on Eren, you know very well that he is just trying to protect you from hurting yourself.”

“Protect me?! But, I'm his son! I am the next Shinganshina Chief! I am supposed to inherit the fleet. He cannot continue to treat me like a baby!” Eren yelled out at the old man.

"Nonsense, your future husband will inherit the fleet and the village." Said the old man. 

Eren glared at the old man. Despite his advanced age, Franklin Arlert was a tall fellow, with a slightly curved spine, but his muscular stature still allowed him to work and fight like he was a young adult. He had braided his long white hair into a thick braid, and his beard was carefully shaved to avoid accidents with the ovens of the forge. His skin was tanned like old leather and he had large and powerful hands. He slammed one of them on Eren's shoulders and exclaimed, "What's wrong with being an omega, son? It is extremely rare! And your children will be stronger than...”

“I'm not a damn baby machine!” Eren said through his gritted teeth.

The back door opened more than it already was, and Armin stepped out from behind it. The blond had, unfortunately for him, inherited the stature of his mother. He was small, frail, and pale, and the inhabitants of Shinganshina looked cruelly at his general appearance, even though he spent as much time as his grandfather near the infernal fires of the forge.

Armin gave him one of his smiles that shined brighter than the sun itself and said, "Eren!”

Eren swallowed a little bit of his anger to approach his best friend, unable to prevent himself from stomping every single step. The blond hugged him briefly, his eyes shining and said, "I thought I heard yelling?! Are you still trying to convince your father to let you participate in the dragon hunt?”

Eren frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, "Of course! Nobody hates these dirty beasts as much me! Also, I am perfectly able to fight!”

Armin sighed and said. "Eren, you're not able to lift the weapons mad to kill Dragons. How do you plan to confront them without a weapon?”

Eren gripped Armin’s shoulders forcefully and said, "I plan to fight them your help! Your inventions are perfect Armin! We don’t need to have the brute force of an Alpha to become a warrior worthy of the name! With your help, I'm sure I'll be able to prove to everyone that..."

Franklin coughed interrupting them dryly and said, “Eren. As delighted as I am to see that you have not lost your determination to prove that you can accomplish the impossible, I will have to ask you to stop putting these wacky ideas in Armin's head. His 'inventions' are just a useless waste of time and energy! It would be much better for him to use the lessons he learned at the forge to assist his future husband when it comes time for me to retire. Stop encouraging him in his childishness!”

Eren's jaw tightened and Armin looked down. They were both Omegas. Which meant that even if they were both males primarily, they were still able to carry children. And not just any kids, solid and sturdy Alphas or even better, other Omegas. Moreover, they did not possess the strength or the same regenerative capacity as the Alphas or Betas of the village. This, in the opinion of all, was enough to make them as unfit for combat, as were a small percentage of the village women, the infirm, or the very old. Eren could not be more mortified than by this assertion. Just as much as he despised all the tales of good women who portrayed the Omegas as 'Breeders', unable to take life from the most insignificant of creatures because of their unusual maternal instincts or their natural inclination to gentleness.

All of that, is a complete lie to make omegas look weak. But, they could be fierce and hateful as well. Eren was the living proof. Since an attack by Dragons had snatched his mother from him as an infant, there were no one on the island that hated the dirty beasts more than Eren. Also, when morons had started to systematically attack Armin, Eren had never hesitated to throw himself into the fray to inflict as much damage as he could. It was also one of the reasons why they were so inseparable today. 

Armin grabbed Eren's sleeve and said, "Come on. Let's go to the back shop.”

Franklin had already gone back to work again, carefully preparing a new Dragonwing sword. Without saying a word, Eren followed his friend. He knew he was wrong to try and convince the blond while his grandfather could hear them. 

Eren was known throughout the village for his unorthodox attitude and his habit of getting into fights with the local Alphas. But Armin did not cause trouble. According to Hanji, the Village Healer, Franklin's heart was fragile, and that the blonde was doing everything possible to make his grandfather’s life easier.

But Armin wouldn’t let that stop him from pursing his passion. Armin dragged Eren to a dusty corner of the design studio, and without hesitation, lifted the heavy blanket that hid a wooden barrel. Eren gave Armin his best smile and together they each grabbed one side of the water barrel and moved it to the side, to uncover the hatch it was hiding. 

Many years ago, Franklin had decided to seal the entrance to the cellar, following torrential rains that had flooded the place. But since then, the water was a distant memory and Armin had used this discovery to store his small illegal experiments. 

The door of the forge had just opened with a crash and panicked voices were talking with the blacksmith, "We need your help Franklin! Nightmares are setting the town on fire! We urgently need you take water from the well to stop fires in the North!”

Monstrous Nightmares were surely the worst kind of Dragons possible. They were about 18 meters long, had an incandescent red skin streaked with black, their belly a deceptively soft cream color, and more importantly, they could ignite entirely. Crossing the sky like a giant fireball, surly a nightmarish vision for anyone who laid eyes on one of them. They were ferocious and rare and a monstrous difficulty to kill. 

The village was going to undergo some serious damage. Both the Men and the buildings will burn today. Eren hoped with all his heart that his father would get away without injuries this time. Although, Grisha complained of the warlike character of his son, Eren had not inherited much of his audacity.

The chief never hesitated to go to the front line. He had an impressive quantity of Dragon corpses on his mantel and he was always eager to add more. Eren and his father butted heads more often than they could discuss anything calmly, but at the mere thought of losing him, the teenager felt like he was being crushed with a hammer. Armin put a reassuring hand on his forearm and said confidently, "Don’t worry, he'll be fine. He always is when these types of things happen. Your father is the fiercest of the Warriors, it's not his first Nightmare.”

Eren was struggling to swallow, but he nodded nonetheless. His neck stiffened by the tension that invaded his shoulders. Often, Armin's ability to understand his anxieties without him even having to express them aloud seemed like a gift from the gods. Franklin shouted suddenly, "Armin! Eren! You stay in there! I need to give a quick hand to help get the water to put out the fires! Armin, I'm counting on you to dissuade Eren from playing Hero!”

The front door closed with a crash. The two Omegas took a quick look and then, as one, they rushed into the hatch. Armin had already lit the torches that were hanging on the stone walls. In front of them were several blankets. The fair-haired boy walked with an assured step, the one he had only in the intimacy of his secret realm, towards his most recent invention. He paused a few steps from it and grabbed the blanket covering it. And with an energy so pure it could make the cruelest man smile, Armin pulled the blanket off and moved out the way exclaiming, "I present to you, 'The Crossbow'!”

“Ah Ha! Did you get inspired by a normal bow?” Eren had approached, his eyes shining. 

Armin had an unparalleled talent for inventing all kinds of objects and weapons, each more ingenious than the last. Armin continued his presentation, with a big smile, "I haven’t been able to make an arrow that would survive the pressure of the shot or that could, without error, pierce the skin of a Dragon, but I do have this!”

Armin leaned forward to lift a thick net whose ends were weighted with one stone each. Intrigued by the net, Eren helped Armin carry his burden. The blond explained, "The Crossbow allows you to shoot that at your target. The net unfolds in the open air! Just place it in there."

Armin opened a strange wooden box that sat on the large wooden table they had improvised in the absence of Franklin, thanks to a thick board that they had borrowed during the construction of a new cottage one or two years earlier. They had a bitch of time to make it go down through the hatch, but it was well worth it when they had finally succeeded.

Eren shouted out, "This is fantastic Armin! With this net, we can improve our catch rate! This we will allow us to imprison more Dragon’s, so that we will be able to train more warriors easier!"

The blond blushed from the compliment and then he scratched his throat and said, "Maybe, but today's attack just reminded me that a simple net trick will surely not help us face a Monstrous Nightmare. It can just set the net on fire and escape. And what about a Hideous Zippleback? It will be just as inefficient. They have two heads, one of them could…"

Eren let out a low threating growl and let go of the net he was holding causing Armin to lose his balance and almost fall forward. Eren frowned and began to reprimand Armin, "Stop saying your inventions wouldn’t work! What’s the point of inventing something if you’re just going to defeat yourself. Nobody had this idea before you! Not me, not my dad, not your grandpa, and not even Hanji! You can still improve it! You don’t have to automatically destroy your progress, just because you think it may not work on the first try! 

The blond boy pushed the net in the box and lowered his eyes, "You're right, Eren." 

Eren patted Armin’s shoulder and said, "Keep your head high Armin! With a little more effort and we will show all those pretentious Alphas that everyone can shoot a Dragon as well as they can!”

Armin gave Eren one of his shy smiles. Eren rolled up his sleeves and asked, "What can I help you with?”

His best friend smiled more beautiful and rolled up his sleeves in turn and said, "I had this idea to create a metal arrow that will be able to kills a Dragon by itself.”

* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x *

As expected, the village had suffered more damage than usual. In the end, Grisha and Keith Shadis, his faithful right hand, had managed to knock out and capture the terrible Monstrous Nightmare. And as with every new attack, Shinganshina waded in a greyish mood. Those that achieved a new victory were feasting, while the dead were mourned. Reconstruction began on the houses that were destroyed in the attack and a count was taken to find out how many cattle the winged monsters had stolen from the fields. The Dragons always took sheep, cows, or others with them, and spread terror on their way. The Dragons seemed to think that the island was their own personal hunting ground and it was a complete headache for the residents.

As after each attack, Grisha returned well after his usual time. His body was blackened with ashes, and the dirt made it difficult to see any burns or injuries. Eren’s father had barley entered the house when Eren was already helping him get rid of his armor, taking advantage to examine it for any damage. Grisha sighed, and fell back into his chair, just a stone's throw from the front door and said, "This is the third attack this month. It looks like these dirty beasts are getting hungrier every single day." 

 

Eren gritted his teeth as his father continued his momentum, "I think we need to plan a new trip out to sea in the hope of finally finding their nest and finally rid ourselves problem once and for all." 

The teenager widened his eyes and raised his head suddenly and yelled, "What?! You can’t do that! The last time we tried to wipe out the we lost a quarter of our fleet without even finding the place!

Grisha sighed and forcibly asked, “What do you recommend then? Do you want all of us to starve to death at the claws of these vile creatures?!”

Eren swung his fist through the air and yelled, “Dying at sea will not save us anymore than us sitting here and doing nothing!”

They stared at each other for a moment until Grisha stood up and pushed his son out of the way and stomped off toward the bathroom. Eren followed his dad and yelled, "Your limping!”

Grisha sighed and said, “I had a bad fall, that's all. In a few days it will be back to normal.”

Eren scoffed, “I bet you didn’t even visit Hanji.”

Grisha shook his head and said, “She had a lot to do tonight, Eren. There were people with more serious injuries than me, and they are still waiting for her to be able to help them. I can wait."

Eren had already taken care to fill the large basin that they used to clean themselves, while he was waiting for his father to return. All Grisha had to do was get in. The man undressed under the scrutiny of his son. Eren was relieved to see that his dad only had a few minor burns on his arms and legs, with no new scars on his father's hardened body. Grisha dropped softly into the bowl of hot water and sighed with pleasure.

Eren picked up the big bath sponge and began scrubbing his father's back while Grisha washed his face in silence. They always agreed that they would have these kinds of moments after a Dragon attack. It was a way for Grisha to decompress and for Eren it was a chance for him to make sure that his father was still alive and that he had no serious injury that could kill him. After a few minutes of scrubbing his dad, the teenager asked, "How much livestock did we lose this this time?”  
Grisha grunted and said, "We will not be able to sell sheep this year. We barely have enough left to fill the flock." 

Eren clenched his fists and yelled, "And you think it's a good idea to risk our ships in a suicide attack on a nest, whose location we do not even know?! You will still end up dying, before you even have a chance of making it pass a fifth of the way through the Death Fog! 

Grisha frowned and yelled, "Eren! We have already discussed it!”

Eren laughed and yelled, “No! You just talked about it and ignored absolutely everything I had to say, as usual!” 

Grisha ran a hand over his face, visibly exhausted. Eren took the opportunity to add, "Seriously! Dad, at least, with our boats in working order, we will be able to repel enemy attacks and perhaps we can also fill our crates with plunder.”

Grisha scoffed and asked, “By playing the Pirates without faith or law? Son! It has been over a hundred years since our ancestors realized that piracy was not a viable way to prosper. We have chosen to establish ourselves, we have formed some commercial alliances, and we are not going to sabotage our future just because we have been unable to protect our animals against those annoying Dragons!”

With these words Grisha straightened up and left the wooden basin. He grabbed his towel and faced his son. His green eyes of water were sharp when he added, "Everyone is doing best to repel the threat of heaven, son. And the only thing that allows us all to survive are the bonds that we managed to weave with our neighbors. We will not start breaking these links by looting our allies! So, start thinking like a true Chief before you want to take up arms."

Eren blushed with shame before replying, "I'm not afraid of Dragons! But finding their nest is…”

Grisha held up his hand and said, “Eren, I'm exhausted. We need to begin repairs tomorrow and we also need to start preparing the next expedition. Hopefully, we will solve the problem before the next attack. In the meantime, I need sleep and you should head to bed too.”

Dry and clean, Grisha put on his long tunic and left the bathroom. Eren looked down at the bath sponge and saw that he was squeezing it so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

As more time passed, Eren felt the sense of urgency to finally prove himself. He wanted to have a voice, to finally be seen with pride and gratitude by father, that he would probably have won long ago if he had the chance to be born an Alpha. If Grisha had had the opportunity to have another child before his mother was killed, maybe he would not have felt so bad about being an Omega. The idea of not being able to meet the expectations that he was entitled to have, because he was the sole heir of an ancient dynasty of Pirates. But life had not given him the gift of being an Alpha and Eren, just as his mother had been, was an Omega. Unfit to lead the fight that decimated his people and threatened the prosperity of his island. But, Eren was an Omega that refused to admit defeat.

* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x *

When he was not taking writing, reading, and history lessons with the village elder, Eren was trying to make himself useful where he could. He went to the woods and helped to transport materials for the reconstruction of the village. He went to the fields to help save the plants that had not been completely burned or to cultivate the fields that had been spared by the attacks. He participated in some construction sites. He helped in the forge to replace the weapons that had been destroyed in the fight against the Dragons. He even went fishing or hunting with the Fishermen or the Trackers. Eren did anything that could to help the village and although he had the gift of always getting into trouble, all the villagers extremely appreciated him. 

Yet the place he preferred to be outside of Armin's secret workshop was Hanji's, who was the Healer and Herbalist of the village. Hanji was extremely particular. She had been the very young disciple of Carla, Eren's mother, during her lifetime. Hanji was a bit zany, energetic, and noisy, but she was a very special woman who, in the opinion of all, certainly had several mental problems. But, she was also the most gifted healer in the history of village, so she was forgiven for her shenanigans. Hanji had always, discreetly, encouraged Eren to look much further than his Omega condition. She had always told him that a simple hereditary determination could not decide his future or his dreams. Eren was very fond of Hanji. She did not hesitate to say what she thought and always found a way to affirm her thoughts. Even when she was the only one in the world to think as she did.

The Dragons fascinated Hanji. They did not frighten her, or at least not as much as most humans. Instead, they fascinated her. She almost worshiped them. Some of her words were simply terrifying. When a Viper Dragon had burned her parents alive, she had only survived because a trio of Warriors had arrived in time to kill the monster. She had seen her father and mother burned alive. Since then, the Village Elders sincerely thought that Hanji was completely insane. Instead of hating the killers of her parents, she had started to become infatuated with them. Some would even dare to say that she loved them. Although she never said it herself. Her obsession could have caused a lot of trouble in the village but on the contrary, it had become an asset.

Thanks to her, the villagers learned that percussions disoriented the Dragons. That they had different weaknesses by species. Hanji had also discovered that not all species of dragons could breathe fire. She had listed and detailed them with passion and meticulousness in six categories. Blasters who made use of other things than simple fire, the Trackers who were much more comfortable on the ground, Rocky Dragons with a thick hide that prevented them from receiving a lot of damage, but at the same time caused them to move slowly, Sailors who could spend some time underwater and attacked mainly with the help of sound, the Enlightened, such as the Monstrous Nightmare, and then there were the Mysterious, the Dragons with abilities that seemed totally different from those possessed by the other categories.

Hanji had demonstrated that this knowledge about the Dragons indispensable and thus she had earned the right to be different. Eren liked being in her company because she never tried to change him or convince him that he had to play a predefined role. For that, he was even ready to close his eyes on her disturbing love for the worst creatures that the Earth can carry.

“Eren, I know you had a bad time." Hanji said as she continued to bandage the arm of the girl who faced her without looking up at the Healer. Her perky voice put Eren’s nerves on edge. Hanji was delighted with the discomfort of her interlocutors, no wonder she decided to settle right next to Eren to continue her monologue, "Are you still angry because your beloved Papa had forbidden you to participate in the last Dragon attack, or have you found a new reason to scream at your Dad? You Jaëgers sure do have a funny way of showing your love for each other." Eren glared at him.

The girl thanked Hanji and quickly left the consultation room of the cottage. Hanji had barely raised an eyebrow under the piercing gaze of the teenager. She exclaimed, "I know I've already said it a thousand times, but you look just like your mother! The only thing you inherited from your father was his beautiful eyes, a true work of art."

Eren frowned and said, "Thank you Hanji, but it pains to tell you, even though you are a beautiful Alpha, you're a little too old to try court to me."

The healer busted out laughing. The teenager straightened up and began replenishing the pots of ointments and potions on the shelf. Hanji barely calmed down when he finished the first row of jars. She caught her breath and asked, "What's going on Eren? I can see that something is bothering you. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

The teenager hesitated for a split second then exploded, "My dad wants to go on an expedition again to find the nest! This subject had weighed on my heart for a little over two weeks.”

The village had not suffered any other attack since then and Grisha had seen the perfect opportunity to put his plans into action. Eren was still not convinced of the merits of such a maneuver. It was not because the Dragons were the worst threat that one should automatically forget that men were also dangerous. Although the Jaegers refused to plunge back into piracy in difficult times, some clans were not so honorable. They raised their flags and plundered allied, enemy ships, and they even attacked villages whose protection had been diminished by the absence of some of their Warriors and Sailors. 

Going in search of the hypothetical nest of the Dragons so close to the Monsoon season, was absolute suicide. Everyone imagined that Death himself was on the other side of the Death Fog, but that part of the oceans did not get his name for nothing. It was impossible to navigate. If you didn’t get stuck on the reefs concealed by the mist, then you’d either end up in the stomach of a Thousand-Thunders Dragon, or burnt to a fine crisp by any other Dragons that just so happened to pass near the fleet. Humans were unable to see anything within 10 meters of the Fog, the Dragons however, did not have the slightest trouble detecting and attacking the enemy in such conditions.

Eren felt that his father was giving way to despair and rage rather than any thoughtful decisions. And he hated to think that this could be the moment when Grisha signed his death warrant.

Eren was barely fifteen years old. He was not ready to take over for the great Grisha Jaëger, although he does not doubt that he will be able to do it one day. Eren wasn’t ready to lose his Father, the last family. Eren felt his heart sink again. Hanji had remained silent, which is a rare case for her. Eren turned to her, intrigued. Her nose was wrinkled, and she had her eyes closed, as she liked to do when she was thinking hard about something. Her thick brown hair was tied into a poorly made ponytail, her arms crossed over her chest. She never took care of her appearance because she could care less about how she looked. At almost thirty years old, despite her gracious and attractive face, Hanji did not have any trying to claim her. Eren often suspected that they were purposely running away from Hanji. She opened her eyes again and sighed, “It is their territory. I guess Grisha hasn’t really digested the fact that one of them could snatch your mother out of his own home."

Eren looked down and bit his bottom lip. Very few people were still talking about the night Carla had been snatched from her family by a Dragon, in a full nighttime attack. When the vile monster set their home on fire, Grisha had braved the flames to rescue their son, but the vile beast had made off with his mate. It was a painful memory for their Chief. Finding a true mate was extremely rare. The Alpha / Omega pairs were famous for offering a strong lineage, and when the pair are predestined to meet, it was a Jackpot. When Eren remembered that he was the result of a true mate union, he could not help but think that all those stories about destiny and the perfect pair were still a nice pile of bullshit. What was so special about him? He was slender, but his muscular stature had remained fine even though he was as physically fit as any Alpha of his age. Although, didn’t have super human strength, and he didn’t have the extraordinary power of regeneration.

Hanji put a hand on his shoulder before squeezing it briefly and said, “Don’t worry Eren. I will try and to talk to your father, to stop him from doing anything too stupid." 

Eren let out a bitter chuckle and said, "Good luck with that. When he has an idea in his head, no one can take it from him."

Now it was Hanji's turn to sneer, "Like father, like son!”

Just then a new heard of villagers arrived in the consultation room. These villagers were the ones that received the least amount of damage from the last attack. There were the people who had only a few scratches or burns that were difficult to heal, or those who suffered from various strains or badly placed bruises, and of the usual regulars that consisted of the cripples and the old bastards that had troubles taking care of themselves. Hanji never had time to rest.

* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x *

That evening, Grisha came home on time. Eren had already prepared dinner, set the table, and was quietly curled up in a corner of the living room, surrounded by a pile of woolen blankets, with a book in his hand, when his father entered the house, scowling. The young Omega looked up as Grisha's angry shadow overshadowed him. Grisha’s piercing gaze flashed like lightning as he yelled "I can’t believe you dared to complain to Hanji!”

The teenager grimaced. Hanji was willing to help, but she wasn’t diplomatic enough or discreet enough to avoid a backlash. Eren sighed and looked up at his father, looking sullen as farther yelled, "I guess I have to make you understand reason, right? This is for the good of the people!” 

Grisha ordered Eren to stand up with a wave of his hand. They looked at each other in silence. Then Grisha ran a nervous hand over his face. A gesture he tended to make when he simply did not know what to do with his son. In other words, it was almost a real tic. The man snarled, "It's not your role to make decisions! Your role is to learn our history and our treaties, to ensure the future of our way of life and our…”

Eren snarled back at his father, “I don’t want a stupid secondary role! I want to be a Chief, just like you! I want to be able to make the decisions that will affect the lives of our people! If I had been an Alpha you would have listened to my opinion and…”

Grisha interrupted Eren by screaming loud enough for the entire village to hear, “But you're not a god damn Alpha!!!” 

Eren jumped under the violence of the scream. Grisha himself seemed surprised by the force of his exclamation. The teenager moved away, his eyes lowered and said, "That's the whole problem, isn’t it? Why did Mom have to give you such a useless, worthless, troublemaking, Omega?"

Grisha stepped forward, hands in the air, not knowing what to do to comfort his son. He wanted to hug him, but Eren tended to take a bad show of affection when he was angry. The Alpha lowered his arms, displeased, and said, "Eren, you know very well that is not what I meant…”

Eren snapped back, “That's exactly what you meant. You never even given me the slightest chance to prove myself! All you do is had me over to Armin’s grandfather every time trouble rears its head!”

Grisha sighed and said, “Eren, you're different, but different does not necessarily mean bad, you know, that right?”

Eren scoffed, “Different means, different. I'm not what you expected!”

"My son, you…" Grisha finally yielded to his first impulse and placed both hands on the teenager's shoulders, even though he refrained from pressing Eren up against him. Their eyes met. Eren's eyes were off, they looked hurt. The Omega might make him turn into a jerk, but Grisha hated not being able to read his son’s magnetic gaze, the same sparkling flame that animated him when he was leading the village. The Alpha declared with renewed determination, "You are my son. My heir. And I thank all the gods for giving me strength to save your life that night we lost your mother. But you are different and therefore, I expect different things from you.” 

Eren push his father away and yelled, “I don’t want to be different! I just want to be your son! I want to have my place and not just serve as a springboard for any Alpha that I have been forced to marry because I know all they want is power!”

Grisha sighed and said, “No one will force you to marry anyone. You will choose your mate in time. Whoever has won your favor and is worthy…

Eren crossed his arms and yelled, “Go fuck yourself!”

Grisha sighed again and said, “Eren, you... You must understand that the future, the future, is something much more precious than the present and the past together. That's what I'm telling you, that's what I see when I look at you. A future. That's what I protect when I protect you...”

Eren snorted and asked, “What's the good in having a future if I am not able to hold on to myself? What good is a future if I am weak and useless?!”

Grisha met Eren’s gaze and said, “Eren..."

They stared at each other in silence for a while, until Grisha raised his arms in sign of forgiveness, and said, "All right, you win.” 

Eren blinked, surprised, and asked, "What did I win?” 

The Alpha took a few steps towards the table, "I accept that we can make compromises. It's been months since the war started and I'm exhausted."  
Eyes wide, Eren rushed to the pot that was heating in the den of the fireplace. He wanted to take advantage of the moment, where finally, the impenetrable barriers of his father seemed to lower. The teen served him a full plate of stew, his hands shaking with nervousness. What was he going to ask? What kind of agreement would he manage to get from his father? Eren got some stew for himself and sat down at the table.

Grisha began, "I want you to learn History, and I want you to learn how to read and write." 

Eren nodded sharply and asked, "I want to learn how to fight the Dragons with other young Alphas and Betas my age." 

Grisha swallowed a spoonful of stew and replied, "Very well. You will also learn how to fight the Dragons in the arena when the training season begins."

Mouth open, the teen stared at his father without moving. He was about to jump with joy, fists in the air, when his father added, "In return, you will accept to shelter yourself with the Armin’s grandfather when I give the order.”

Eren’s eyes widen and he asked, “What? But what's the use of teaching me to defend myself if I am just...”

Grisha held up his hand and said, “Eren, either you accept the compromise, or it vanishes. It's like that.”

The teenager’s twitched his jaw, and thought fast and then he gritted his teeth and said, "All right. I accept.” 

Eren didn’t argue because when is fully trained he could finally prove to his father that he was quite capable of fighting alongside the Warriors. In the meantime, the most important thing was to have access to the training grounds. Eren kept going, "I do not want you to lead a new expedition in search of the nest until the next Spring." 

Grisha paused, and then he admitted, "Hanji talked about her doubts today on the council. I will agree to postpone the Expedition until next spring arrives.”  
Eren smiled at him, delighted, "Great! We will need every possible arm to consolidate the houses, drive the flocks and trade when the sea begins to freeze. In addition, dragons are more ferocious in winter so...”

Grisha quickly interrupted and said, “In exchange, I want you to accept the Alphas requests as soon as you turn sixteen.” 

Eren felt a stone fall into his stomach. Requests allowed the clan's Alphas to officially start courting him. Give him gifts, ask for appointments. Although Eren retains the right to reject any Request that displeases him, it was usually not a good idea to extend the time of Requests for more than a year. His father wanted to make sure he was married as soon as possible. The teenager lowered his eyes, his hand tightened around his spoon. He refused to be demoted only to the rank of a trophy.

He refused to only be the Mate of the future Chief. But he could not risk the future of the village for such selfish reasons. It was not the attitude expected of a future leader. Grisha knew it and he knew above all that his son was fully aware of it. Eren could not refuse this deal, especially if it allowed him to postpone the next Expedition. The Omega was once again the victim of one of his father's strategies, a lesson that was hard to acquire. The sense of duty. Eren lifted his head and said in a firm voice, "It’s a Deal.” 

They were still staring at each smiling when the chilling sound of a gong shattered the silence of the night. The sound was followed very closely by the terrifying howl of the sentry, "DDDRRRAAAGGGOOONNNSSS! "

* X * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * x *

Night attacks were without a doubt the absolute worst thing ever. They are events that should only ever happen in hell. Even the best sentries could only spot the swarm of Dragons when they were just a few feet away. These surgical strikes were usually quick, deadly, and extremely expensive in terms of livestock and material damage. They were so sudden in fact, even the strongest warriors in the village had trouble defending themselves against the invaders. In a few minutes, Grisha had already donned his armor and grabbed his weapon. He glanced furtively at his son. The teenager’s pupils were dilated with fear as he stood in the middle of the living room, petrified. Eren was only an infant when Carla had been snatched away in the clutches of a Dragon, so whenever a night attack happens, it causes Eren to freeze, which lead Grisha to believe Eren still suffers trauma from that horrible night. Most of the time, the Alpha had to fight against Eren to prevent him from taking up arms and joining the fray. The night time attacks however, simply made Eren incapable of any logical reaction.

Grisha yelled out, "Eren!”

The teenager jumped and clenched his fists. Once Grisha was certain that he had Eren’s attention, the man ordered, "Go and hide at the forge and do not leave!” 

Eren nodded softly and quickly put on a pair of shoes. The forge was one of the only buildings that benefited from the natural protection of a rocky section that made it almost impossible to be attack from the air. It was buried in the wall of the cliff, and with its protection and its proximity to the village center, it was a very important strategic point. The well of water that Franklin used to cool his works allowed them to extinguish the multitude fires started by dragons and it allowed them to store water for hard times. The second building to benefit from this geographical advantage was the Hut. A huge construction that was matched only by the Coliseum where the training and the Warrior Festival were held. It welcomed the villagers unable to fight in case of an attack and the Elders stayed there permanently. It was also the place where the important figures of the village gathered to make all the decisions.

As Grisha's house was only a few steps away from the forge, it was obvious that he would choose the safest and nearest place to house his son. The situation was dire, because Franklin Arlert one of the best Warriors Shinganshina had ever known in his youth, was, was also helping, even though he was relieved from combat because of his medical condition. Grisha opened the door with a sudden gesture and rushed out into the night, screaming like a banshee. Eren took his time to catch his breath and struggled to ignore the furious beatings of his heart as he also left the relative safety of his cottage.

As Eren ran outside, he saw that Shinganshina was in flames. The giant torches that allowed the sentries to scrutinize the darkness from the top of their watchtower were irrelevant. Fires broke out everywhere, unopposed by the inhabits of Shinganshina. Eren had not even walked ten steps when he saw him in the distance. An ugly, pissed off, Zippleback. It was eleven meters in length. Its greenish scales were stained with a purple color that seemed to burn in the night. His two heads were screaming, flailing from side to side, threatening to impale anyone with its horns, that had decided to try and get close to it.

The Zippleback may not have a significant amount of fire, but each one of his fire attacks was devastatingly dramatic. One of the heads spit out a greenish gas, very fragrant, and the second ignited with a spark. Their flames covered an extended area and had the ability of being able to stay in the air for several minutes. The only chance the villagers had was to through water in the open mouth of the head that was responsible for providing the deadly spark. 

Eren could fell his blood freeze. The presence of a Zippleback usually involved the presence of a swarm of Terrible Terrors. These Dragons were barely fifty centimeters tall but couldn’t be snappier than they already were. They were able to shoot at least ten fireballs before falling back on their claws and sharp fangs to shred their enemies. They moved in pack, adding to their attack strength, and some number advantage. They usually targeted chickens, lambs, or calves, but caused a significant amount of crop damage as well. Their appearance was reminiscent of the Monstrous Nightmares, they had zebra stripes, wore two horns on the top of their skulls, and had large triangular spines along the spine.

As soon as the thought crossed Eren's mind, a Terror had landed a few meters away from him. She uttered a shrill, threatening cry, staring at him with narrowed eyes and protruding fangs. Not even wasting a second the Omega grabbed the nearest stone and without an ounce of hesitation, threw it at the Dragon’s head. The beast uttered a little cry of surprise and backed up a, slightly dizzy. As soon as the dragon backed up the Omega took off running. He had run out of breath when a noise broke through the night. As if the wind had been cut in half. Suddenly, an incandescent blue ball of fire soared through the sky to hit the house to Eren’s left. The explosion threw him to the ground, a shower of dust, wood and a few pieces of rock hit him from all sides. Eren groaned. His ears were ringing, and the heat of the fire already caressed his skin.

Yet Eren had no trouble hearing the mad cry that pierced the dancing shadows of the inflamed darkness, "NIGHT FURY!!!” 

The teenager's heart skipped a beat. A Night Fury? No! Impossible. Eren tried to straighten up. The Night Furies were the worst kind of plague, no other Dragons were even comparable. Nobody had ever seen one, or even manage to kill one. It was the ultimate enemy of the human species. A mystical creature that melted into the darkest night, that could spit out an unlimited number of explosive blue fireballs. This fast and elusive Dragon was considered the only child of thunder and death. The characteristic noise of its flight that hissed through the air, was reminiscent of crackling lightning. Eren finally straightened up, staggering.

Many of the Warriors were occupied by their confrontation against the Zippleback, as the Terrors looted the houses, and attacked some villagers that were barely armed. Children and teenagers were trying in vain to extinguish the fires that were spreading everywhere. The death toll was going to be catastrophic. The teenager let his arms fall down his sides, his heart was beating faster than ever. Rampant. Blood was pounding him in the temples. Eren clenched his fists. Shinganshina was his home. His haven of peace. Those men and women who faced death were his people. No offense to his father, the Ancients and all the thoughtful gods of his people, being an Omega did not prevent him from wanting to defend his territory. He turned his back on the battle and without losing a minute Eren ran to the Forge.

As Eren pushed open the door, he saw Armin standing in the middle of the room alone, holding a hammer and crying. At the boy’s feet was an unconscious Terror. Eren didn’t even have time to ask Armin the slightest question, when the blonde started yelling, "Grandpa has gone to help with the fires! As soon he left a terror broke in here! The ground is shaking, and I can smell fires! Eren what's going on!?” 

The teenager walked passed Armin towards the back room and said, "Zippleback and Night Fury." 

Armin let out a desperate moan and followed his best friend, shaking, "What? A Fury? No! I hoped there were no more!!”

Eren let out a choked laugh and said, “I guess we all hoped in vain then. The capture of the last Nightmare had to of convince the Dragons to send some heavy artillery. Or these dirty beasts are as desperate as we are when the monsoons come.” 

The Omega threw the heavy blanket off the barrel with a sudden gesture and without even asking for help from his friend, he moved the barrel of water that covered the secret hatch. Armin who was surprised with Eren’s actions asked, "Eren, what are you doing?!”

Eren snarled, “I do not care about their reasons. If the Fury is here to send a message, I intend to send them one too. Something that will dissuade them from coming back to bother us for a long time.”

Armin titled his head and said, “Eren?”

The teenager however was already descending into the trapdoor. Armin followed him. When the blond saw exactly what his friend thinking, he could not help but intervene, "No! Eren, it's a prototype, you can’t..."

Eren's flaming eyes nailed Armin to the spot, "There, outside, it looks like the god damn Apocalypse! People are dying, our friends are fighting, and fires are raging. If I can manage to get rid of that damn Fury, I can save the village! It is out of the question that I will stay here with my thumb up my ass, while everyone else defends our home! So, you can either help me out and arm this Crossbow, or you can get lost! Nothing you say will be able to dissuade me, Armin…"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Armin's azure gaze hardened as remembered the Terror that had just attacked him upstairs.

They used the previously barren entrance to the cellar to push the craft out of the Forge. The cellar was used for a time as storage for various goods, weapons, barrels of alcohol or tools. Its entrance had been dug to allow carts to descend without difficulty. Eren and Armin struggled for a moment to raise the Crossbow. Once outside, the blond took a minute to observe the apocalyptic decor that faced them. The Flames, the cries, the opacity of the dark night traversed by the compact smoke of the various fires, and the shrill screams of the Dragons... Eren looked at the boy and shout, "Armin! Let's hurry!”

The Omega shook his head and hurried to start pushing his invention again.

They had to dodge the streets strewn with large debris and they had make a few detours to get around the areas where the Terrors were roaming, but finally, they reached the pulley that allowed the craftsmen to renovate the watchtower where they had chosen to position themselves. With a nod, Eren indicated to his friend that he was planning to climb to the top, Armin nodded, and they sprang into action. The Omega started climbing and in a few minutes, he was at the top of the tower. The sentry who was supposed to be there for the night had already left to help contain the attack in the center of the village as best as possible. Eren watched as Armin turned the crank that raised the crossbow up to him.

Once the machine was installed and its ammunition was in place, Eren wiped his hands nervously on his tunic and moved into position. He had barely realized that his head was bleeding and that his arms were covered with scratches. He was dirty and thirsty. His hands were shaking, and his heart was beating so hard that he felt like he was just hearing himself. Still, he was decided. Tonight, he was finally going to make a difference. He scanned the darkness for any hint that could indicate the position of the Night Fury. In the distance, a bluish fireball hit the tavern of the village. Eren prayed that the tavern owner had already been evacuated and without losing a second, curled up so he she could place his eye in the crossbow visor. The vibrating sound of the flying Fury pierced the night but not a single trace of his presence could be seen. Eren swore between his teeth. The Dragon couldn’t just be invisible? Right? There was only one solution...

The Omega placed his viewfinder towards the great torch that illuminated the horizon for a few meters. If the Dragon had just left the vicinity of the tavern and was following a normal flight route before having to turn back to attack again... The shadow barely passed through the telescope as the teenager pressed the button of his weapon. In a sound of tense rope, the projectile cracked the air and an inhuman scream tore through the night. Surprised, Eren blinked and wiped away the dripping blood that was threatening to blind him. Had he hit home? Was the beast down? His questions kept increasing over the seconds that followed his shot. As he was about to reload the machine, in doubt, a blue ball of fire burst from the void and hit the watchtower. Frightened, the Omega clung as best he could to the crossbow and howled with all his might. The attack of the Fury exploded, and the tower collapsed.

Eren barely had time to register his fall. He had a vague awareness of falling. Because the tower was going to crash in the city center. Because he had a great chance of hurting Warriors and knocking out the Zippleback. At least his death would not be futile. In a monstrous crash, the building crashed to the ground. Eren was thrown by the violence of shock and lost consciousness when a large piece of wood hit him in the head.


End file.
